Utah: Skiing , Snowshoeing & Polygamy Brew

Every fall my husband starts getting snow reports from our favorite ski resort in Utah and starts asking if we’re going or not.

I hem and haw. As I’ve written before,  I have a love/hate relationship with the sport and each year feel I’m getting too old for it. I worry more about falls. I’m careful and slow, and joke that I’ll pin a sign to my back,  “older person on skis.”

We started coming here years ago when the kids were in school. Our sons aren’t skiing anymore and though our daughter joined us last year, she’s now a hard working law student and doesn’t have the time off.

But I know my husband loves skiing and we both love being outside and getting exercise. We love the scenery and fresh air. This year we stopped skiing around 1 pm each day then snow-shoed in the afternoons. Then we hit the hot tub, then the bar, then  dinner, then collapsed. No night life for us.

What’s interesting  is how snowshoeing has grown as a sport. And not just for old folks who’ve quit skiing, but young people and families. Snow shoes are light-weight and strap onto your boots, and you walk, like hiking on snow. There’s a bit of trudging and it’s certainly less graceful than cross country skiing but it’s a great workout. Studies show “snowshoers can burn between 420-1000 calories per hour.”

The conditions weren’t great the first 3 days and we were both fighting colds. We took one day off completely and went to the movies. We saw The Revenant. Much of the scenery reminded us of the Utah mountains. I can’t say much for the plot. On our fourth, last day on the mountain, the sun shone and the slopes glistened with fresh powder.

Dancing Aspens

You know you’re in Utah…